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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND IMMIGRATION OF 

VIRGINIA. 

PAiRYAND FOOD DIVISION 

BENJ. L.PURCELL,C<?yY/*«s-/aKS(> 




jjyLYJQIS. 



a(/U£r/NS W/IL 3£S£Afr 
Fff£E O/V APPl/CAr/aV 
•S TO DA^YAUP FOOO 
a jj COMM/SS/Oy/£/f. 

R/C/iMOJVD, M. 

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Ten Reasons Why a 

Dairy Farm In Virginia 

Pays Better Than In 

Anv Other State : : 





Page Tiro 



:-t5 




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IL 3 



Page Four 




Page Five 



Foreword 




UOH has been said and written of tlie glory of 
tlie Old Dominion, tlie mother of States and 
statesmen, the liome of presidents, the hind of 
romance, tlie centre of the struggle which 
convulsed a continent, and changed the rei)uhrH' into 
the nation. This ])liase of \^irginia's greatness is not 
our theme. We are writing of the present and future, 
leaving the historian to dwell ui)on tlie past. Virginia, 
her agricultural development, and more es{)e('ially her im- 
piortance as a great centre for the dairy industry, is the 
subject here briefly considered. The twentieth century 
demands that a man shall find safe and ])rofitable invest- 
ment in his farm, together with comfort in his home, and 
ready access to the ceidres of ])o])ulation — witlior.t the'-^e 
advantages the trend to the cities is inevitable. Xo m-in 
willingly exiles himself from the ]ileasures of life, and the 
time has come when he must have reasona1)h' assurance 
of such business on his farm as shall make for his imme- 
diate and permanent advantage, or ] e will strive in in- 
creasing numbers to swell the ranks of factory ojx'i'atives, 
mill h.ands, small clerks and the host of weary workers 
who to-day throng our cities. 

With its eastein bonndai'ies washed by the waters of 
the Atlantic, and its western highlands lying among the 
Blue Ridge and Alleghany mountains ; with its altitude 
ranging from TO to 4,000 feet above the level of Ihe sea, 
Virginia has a wonderful variety of crops and ngricul- 
tural resources. "Remarkable progress has been made in 
the last few years, and the State is rapidly developing 
into one of the foremost agricultural States of the Union. 
Among the many sources of revenue from the fai'm, the 



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Page Eight 




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Forest Iloiiio t'rojiuierj ami IJiiir.v HjiriiM, Loiiduuii County. 




Siinitiir> Itiirii iinil Silo noar IticliiiioiMl, litMirieo Coiiiify. 

Paa<- Ten 



income from dairying lias taken a prominent place. Start- 
ing with a few plants, erected mainly for the handling of 
milk and cream, the number of factories has rapidly in- 
creased, until they are now located in practically every 
section of the State. The production of cream for the 
manufacture of ice cream, as well as for the making of 
butter, has increased enormously in the last few years. 

Read these ten reasons for owning a Virginia farm — 
they understate the case — and say, is not life under these 
conditions as nearly ideal as one can hope for? 

Investigate these facts and then act upon them. 




Field of Silage iu llotetoiirt eoiiiity — VieUI, ;5a Tons per Acre. 



Page Eleven 




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Page Sixteen 



Ten Reasons Why a Dairy Farm in Virginia 
Pays Better Than in Any Other State 



I. CLIMATE. 

Virginia lias never had a blizzard, a eyelone or an earth- 
quake. The winters are long enough to give the farmer 
a chance to cut ice from his own pond, and to kill out 
noxious insects. They are so short as to make grazing 
practicable for nine months in the year. 

Short and Mild Winters. 

Far enough south to esca]^e the cold, hard winters of 
the North and West, and far enough north to escape the 
torrid heat of the South, A'irginia has a tem])erature Avell 
suited for tlie raising of cattle and the in-oduction of dairy 
products. While the winters last from three to four 
mouths, the temperature seldom falls below ten degrees 
above zero, and there are few days that it does not rise 
above the freezing point. Expensive l)arns arc therefore 
not required for tlie housing of stock, and much of the 
time they can, without discomfort, spend in the open air. 

Long Grazing Season. 

The long grazing season is valuable in ])rodu('ing dairy 
products economically. Cattle can be ke])t on ])asture for 
some time after frost has destroyed the ])astures of less 
favored sections. Cows can frequently l)e grazed from 
the first of Ajiril to the last of November. The famous 
Kentucky natural blue grass grows abundantly over a 
large area of the State. Tn Southwest Virginia lieef cattle 
are finished for export on the l)lue grass pastures, no grain 
being fed. 

Page Seventeen 




Pa</c E'ujli teeth 




Page Nineteen 



2. WATER SUPPLY. 

Natural s|)riiii;s riiniisliiiii;' ahiuidaiit wat^T, may Ije 
found oil most farms in \^irginia, without effort, for tlio 
cattle, and supplying with tlic help of simple and inex})('n- 
sive machinery all of tlie water needed for the house and 
barn. Irrig.ilion is unknown, liecause it has never been 
needed. The ]-ainfall is moderate. 

Near tlic scacoast, where sy)riiiiis are not so numerous 
as in the highlands, artesian wells are used. These have 
proved most satisfaetory, giviiii; ;iii ;il)imd;nit supi)ly of 
excellent flowing water. 

3. LOV/-PRICED LANDS. 

Where lands are high in pri( c, necessitating a larger 
income to pay the interest on the investment, it often re- 
quires close calculation to figure out a ])roiit. Land in 
Virginia, which is in cultivalioii, and flint will respond 
readily to improvement, can he purchased in many sec- 
tions as low ;is ij;20 ]ter acre. Land on which more labor 
will he invol\-e(l to l)ring it to a state of culti\'ation can 
be purchased for from $8 to ^10 per ncre. In the last 
ten years, in nearly all sections of the State, land has 
more thnn doubled in value, but the ])rice is still sinall, 
and is es|)ecially inviting as an investment. 

Besides these lands, ready for immediate use, there are 
thousands of acres of marsh hinds now known to be re- 
clalmable at a cost which, in five _\( ars, Avill bring enor- 
mous returns. 1"'his is one of the most i)romising fields for 
investment in the country and has been successfully tried 
on a very large scale in Easteiai N'irginia. 

4. SOIL. 

The State is divided naturally into the lowdying lands 
along the scacoast an<l as far inland as Richmond. This 
section is known as the Tidewater i-egion; the Piedmont 
comes next, lying, as its name im])lies, at the foot of the 

Page Tirrnt}! 



Blue Eidge; beyond tlio Blue Kidge strotclics the range 
of tlie Alleglianies, and between these two ranges lies 
what is known as ''The Valley." The soil varies as nmeli 
as the eharaeter of the eoimtry. In Tidewater AHrginia 
are plains with responsive and warm soil snitabU' for 
market gardens and delicate fruits. Here grow the great 
peannt and truck crops, and here may be found the best 
examples of intensive agriculture in the United States. 
In Piedmont ai-e the rich upland loams, unsurpassed as 
wheat and tobacco hinds, the best of lands for sheep and 
<?attle raising. On tlic slopes of the Blue Ridge the soil 
is warm and ricii. Ilere is the great fruit belt, where the 
apples grown have made an international reputation f(n- 
Virginia, and with the fruit trees go the ]>hu' grass grazing 
farms. The A'alley, with its heavy clay and limestone, is 
the home of the famous blue grass. Soils, suited to all 
kinds of cr()]»s, ai'c, then, to l)e fonml in Virginia, and 
with any or all of them the dairy and cattle luisiness is a 
natural and y)rontabl(' adjunct. 

5. CHEAP FEEDS. 

It follows fi-om what has l)cen said of Virgiiii;i's cli- 
mate and soil that food for man and beast <'an be raised 
at a minimum cost. ( *orn is king in Virginia. Xo State 
can produce corn for grain or silage more economically 
and alnindantly. Average yic^lds ]»er acre of 101) bushels 
of corn or twenty tons of silage are common. Owing to 
the long growing season, two forage crops ])ei" year can 
be grown with gr(\at protit. 

Crimson Clover. 

l>y sowing the co]-n lands in crimson clover at the last 
working of the corn, this ci-op conies in the early spring 
and can either be used for grazing or cut for hay, and the 
laud again planted in corn or some other croji. Crimson 
clover is not only a good feed for dairy cows, but also a 

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York Graiige Farm. York t <»iiiitj . Crop of AYIh-jU jiiuI Vt'(«-li Harvested 
Juue 1!», lStl4 — Kif^hteeii tons Silajte per Aere. Land Ininiedtately 

Parie Ticnitihtico 



Seeded to Sorfilniui. 




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Page Twenty-five 



groat land i]iii)i-()V('r, and thousands of acres of land liave 
been improved Uy the nsc of this most valuable legume, 
the yield of which is (Mioi-mous. 

Cow peas and soja hcaiis are also used ;is soil ini- 
l)rovers, and i'ov sowing in the corn ero]) and grazing in 
the fall aftci- the corn is taken from the land and ])ut into 
the silo. Peas and ])eans mak(^ excclleid sihigc and are 
largely used in \'irginia for this |)ur))Ose. 

Alfalfa. 

Alfalfa can he grown in all sections of ihc State and 
the yield of alfalJ'a per acre is as large as in any other 
State, witli the ])ossihle exception of the irrigated sec- 
tions of the West. This is a crop that the farmers are 
using more and more each year. 

Other Crops. 

Rye, Canada peas, crimson clover and winter vetch 
are crops that, in their order, come to maturity in the 
early spring and are nuicli used for eitlier grazing or for 
soiling pur))oses. Near the large cities where land is 
high, and in the sections where truckiiig is the main croy), 
the system of soiling is carried on with good I'esnits, two 
and sometimes three ( I'ops being cut fi;om the same land 
in one year. Cows are kept in the l)arnyard and green 
feed cut and hauled to them. Starting in the eai'ly s|)ring 
with the above-mentioned cro])S, winter oats, alfalfa, 
wheat, spring oats, red clover, corn, sorghum and kaffir 
corn, soudan grass, soy beans, cow ])eas, millet, etc., can 
be grown and fed in theii' oi'dei-. Fi'om mo~t of these 
crops good ln\- is made. Timothy, oi'chard grass, herds 
grass, the clovers, etc., are also gi*own extensively for 
hay and l)ring lai'ge returns. 

Tn conserving the entii'e value of the corn crop, the silo 
is in general use throughont the State. 

Tn Piedmoid and the western section of th.e State, where 

Page Twenty-six 







Page Twenty-seven 



the bine grass is a natural product and where in the past 
export beef has been raised, those farmers that have taken 
np the dairy work have demonstrated that milk can be 
prodneed perhaps more economically than in any ])art of 
the Union. On those blue grass farms, allowing a fair 
price for the grazing of the stock, and for all labor in- 
volved, it has been demonstrated that milk can be pro- 
duced at a cost as low as six cents per gallon. 

While in the eastern section natural bine grass does 
not thrive as it docs in the mountains and hills of the 
western and central ])arts of the State, yet these sections, 
which are not so high above the sea level, are especially 
adapted for the raising of leguminous crops of all kinds, 
and here the nearness to the seaboard makes the market- 
ing of early garden truck es]iecially ]n-ofitable. 

6. PRICE OF LUMBER. 

Virginia is one of the few States that still has large 
areas of growing timber and the low price of lumber, 
compared with the i)rices paid in other States, offers in- 
ducement to the farmer to l)uild barns and silos. 

In the last few years thousands of silos have lieen put 
up in the State, and many of these have been home-made, 
and in hundreds of cases tlie lumber has been supplied 
from the farm on which the silo was erected. 

7. DEMAND FOR DAIRY COWS. 

There is a constant demand throughout the South for 
good dairy cows. During the past few years large num- 
liers of dairy cows have been brought in from the North 
and West, the demand being much greater than could be 
su])plied by tlie breeders of the State. The dairyman 
using a pure-bred sire and grading np his herd will find 
a ready sale for all of his surplus stock. This demand 
has already created a supply, and from the standpoint of 
breeding- and production Virginia can show some of the 

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Ix'sl herds of llic couiiti-N". The (IciikiikI, however, has 
not IxM'ii I'lilly met, ami ciitcriJrisiiii;' Imsiiicss methods 
Avili l>niii2,- (|ni( k and gratit'yiiii;' returns to the stock raiser 
Avho strives to meet tliis iii<'re:isiiii>- dcmaiKl. TIcre again 
tlie climatic conditions are especially ad\'anta,i2,('()ns. 

8. TRANSPORTATION. 

No eiiterpi'ise can he classed as pi'oiitahle which leaves 
ont ol' considci-atioii the ti'anspoi-tation (piestion. \'ii"- 
giiiia is the great centi'al station between the Xortli and 
South. Tiii-ee i-ailroads ci-oss the State from East t<» West 
and tlii'ee unite Xew l^iiigland with Florida and travei-so 
A'irginia from noiHi to south. 'Pli<' enstiu'n section of 
the State ri'om tlie poi'ts of Xorl'olk, Xewj)ort News, West 
Point and liichmoiid en,jo>'s unsurpassed wat<'r ti"ans])or- 
tation facilities with Xew Yoi-l>:. Philadelphia, l*>altinioi-e 
and Washington, heing within tweU'e hours oi' the most 
distant. This insures rapid an<l I'rfMpieiit comninnica- 
tioirs with all sections--a matter of x'ital importaiice in 
ilealing with daii\\' pi'oducts. 

]\Iany of the daii'\'men of \'irginia are shipping ci'eaui 
to the mai'kets of the southei'U cotton-gi-owing States, 
wlieic a I'eady sale at good pi'ic cs (an alwa>s hi' found. 
( 'i-eam can he pasteni-ized and shipped into these sections 
with little loss, as the raili'oad facilities are excellent 
and the rates ai'e low. The maiK'ets foi- ci-eamery liutter 
in the South are large, amounting to millions of pounds 
annnallx', a snrdi part of which onl\- is made in the South. 

Xoi-|'ol]<, next to Xew York in impoi'tance as ;) slii])])ing 
)iort, is a distributing ])oiiit I'or sexci-al millions of pounds 
of ci-eaniei-y butter every year, while liichmond, Lynch- 
l)nrg and I»oanoke also handle nullions of i)onnds of l)ut- 
ter and cheese. The gi^eat mining State of West A'irginia 
also olfers excepti(Uial o]>portnnities foi- the sale of dairv 
pi'odncts. These nuirk(ds must be sui»]ilied, and tlie logi- 
<'al place from wdiieh to su|)ply them is from the State of 

Piif/r Thirtu-tivo 



V'irginia, where tliey eaii be ])ro(Uu'ed and marketed with 
least cost and greatest facility. 

9. UNLIMITED AND UNEXCELLED MARKETS. 

In 191-1:, of twenty-nine cities located in all ])arts of the 
United States, the average price received for milk hy the 
dairymen snpx^lying the Richmond market was th.e high- 
est, while Washington, D. C, came next. Five hnndred 
dairies in the northern part of the State fnriiisli(Ml a large 
portion of the milk sold in Washington. Richmond is sup- 
plied entirely by dairies located in the State. The market 
for creamery bntter and cheese in Virginia, and the six 
States immediately sonth, is practically nnlimited. None 
of these provid(^ more than a very small per cent, of the 
amount nscd in the State, and Virginia's geographical 
]iosition and snpfM'ior ship])ing facilities give her an ideal 
o|)])ortnnity to snp])ly this demand, or to dispose to great 
advantage of any snr])lns from her own farms and fac- 
tories. 

10. EXPERT AID. 

The Virginia I.egishitnrc has made s])ecial and libei'al 
provision to foster and encourage the (hiirv industry of 
the State, and the Dairy and Food Division of the State 
Department of Agriculture is e( pupped to render valu- 
able assistance to the dairymen of the State, also to aid 
])ros})ective dairymen in every ])Ossible way. They are 
pre])ared to facilitate the selection of farms, to give ])r;ic- 
tical help in ex])lainiug methods for the conduct of the 
business, the care of the herd and the marketing of the 
product. Men especiall\' fitted to advise along tlie lines 
of dairy farming and llie opei'ation of creameries, ai'e em- 
])lo\'ed by the dairy dix'ision and their services may be had 
without charge by any one asking for them. 

The Dairy and Food (^Commissioner eariiestly invites 
corres]~)ondence fi-om all who are or luny hecome inter- 
ested in (hiii-ying in AMi'ginia. Prom])t r( plies to in- 
rpiiries may be counte(l u])on. and the ( \)nrinissioii<'r will 

P(if/r Thirty-three 




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Allst'iimrlt' ('r«'jiiiuT> <'<>., ( liiirloUcs^ bII«-, A l)i<-ii!:!rl<* <'<>iiiily, :i <'o-oj(«Tjitive 

< oiK't'rii. 

Tliis is near tlie Univorsity of Virginia, one of the most tieaiitil'iil yilaces 

in the State, famous for its fruit growing- as well as for tlie seat 

of learning foiniled hy Thomas Jefferson. 




Page Thirty-five 



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Page Thirty-eight 




Page Thirtij-nine 



not only furnish desired information, bnt will also per- 
sonally assist ])rospeetive investors in finding suitable 
locations, and in li('li)iiii»' tlicm to start right and to keep 
right. 

SUMMARY. 

A man who is looking I'oi' great ]»ossihilities in the 
dairy business must keep in mind tliesc features: 

1. Tie needs a good climate. 

'2. He needs to he snre of ahniidant water supi)ly. 

o. He needs to locate on low-pi'iced hinds when he is 
startiiig. 

4. He nee(ls a soil wliieli responds i-eadil>' to care and 
holds the improvement. 

5. He needs a cheap food for liis cnttie. 
(i. He needs cheap hnilding material. 

7. He needs good and easy ti'ansjujrtation. 
S. He needs a ready sale for such of his herd as lie does 
not desire to keep. 

9. He needs a pi'otitahle market f<n" his ])roduct. 

10. He needs sympathetic aid from ])ersons on the field 
who are ])r<'pai'e(l to gi\'e expei't advice and practical as- 
sistance to pi'ospective settlers. 

These ten needs ai'e met hv the reasons outlined above. 
If yon liax'e aii>- donhts on the subject they can be easily 
solve(l l)v wi'iting to !>en,i. I^. Pnrcell, Dairy and Food 
roimnissionei-, Kichmond, Yn. Lettei's are a pleasure; 
cori'es])ondence is soliciteil. \'irginia hospitality can be 
shown e\'en throui'h tlx' mails. 



Pa(je Forlji 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



002 859 196 2 # 



